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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. HOWARD, Opnstruptipn of Floors and Ceilings.

N0.237,533. Patented Feb. 8, 1881.

Ml xdl l MM HQ IMMMI I wQ IN 1 E IN IU I WH I IH UQ I IMH How va NH I 7w0 F v w Nv PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. Q Q

'2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. HOWARD. Constructiorioffloors and Ceilings.

No. 237,533. Pwsnted Feb. 8,1881.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HOWARD, OF BERNEES STREET, OXFORD STREET, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX,ENGLAND.

CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORS AND CEILINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part cilE'Letters Patent No. 237,533, datedFebruary 8, 1881. Application filed August 21,}580. (No model.) Patentedin England NovcmberQS, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE HOWARD, of BernersStreet, Oxford Street, in the county of Middlesex, England, haveinvente'l certain Improvements in the Construction of Floors andCeilings, and in the Paneling of Walls and other Surfaces, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The chief object of myinvention is to so construct parquet-floors andordinary floors that their lateral shrinkage may be readily made good,while at the same time provision is made against any injurious effectresulting from the swelling of the wood (however well it may have beenseasoned) caused by the dampness to which the flooring of a new buildingis exposed. Hitherto in laying parquet-floorings it has been usual tonail each of the boards composing the panel or slab separately to thejoints. This, however, made no provision for shrinkage, and as theboards contracted the joints opened.

According to my invention I provide for the shrinkage and swelling oftheparts composing the floor by constructing panels .or' slabs of boardsset side by side and firmly secured together by the means hereinaftermentioned. These slabs I make of any desired size, according to the workin hand, the dimensions of the slabs for ordinaryflooring being as largeas can be conveniently handled by the workman.

When preparing slabs for parquet-flooring I make them of any requiredlength and of a width sufficient to rest, say, upon three joists, and Ifasten one board of each slab (the middle board or one of the endboards) to the joists by means of nails or screws, leaving the otherboards composing the slab to rest loosely on the joists. Thus, when theslab shrinks it will shrink laterally or toward the fixed board, awayfrom adjacent slabs in the same line, thereby leaving gaps to be filledin by additional boards. The edges of the lines of slabs thus securedwill be held down to the joists by overlapping transverse strips of woodor clampin g-pieces'havin g a T or other suitably-shaped cross-section,and forming with the slabs a flush floor-surface.

In Sheet I of the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention asapplied to two of cross-section of the same taken on the line 1 2 ofFig. 1.

a a are a number of boards secured together to form a panel or slab byton gue-and-groove joints, and by the addition of dog-nails a, appliedto their under surface, as shown in the section, Fig. 3. The boards inthis instance areof such length that they will, when in place, rest uponthree flooring-joists, b b b. Applied to the joists b b are stripsofwood 0, T-shaped in cross-section, and serving toform guides for thereception of the slabs, which are rabbeted at their edges to fit againstthe transverse strips 0. The slab is made fast to the joists by n ailsor screws (1, which are passed through the middle board of the slab andtake a firm hold of the underlying joists. The strips 0 are made inlengths somewhat shorter than the slabs, when these are applied to thejoists, as shown in the drawings; but when the slabs are secured to thejoists in pairs, with their abutting ends made fast to the joists, thestrips 0 may extend to nearly the length of two such slabs.

It will be convenient, in laying a floor according to this invention ina newly-built house, to lay the slabs of each row a short distance apartin order to provide for the swelling of the wood transversely of thegrain. As the shrinkage occurs gaps are formed, as at e, and these'Ifill in by the insertion of narrow boards f, which boards I hold inplace on the joists by short pieces, 0, which will form virtuallycontinuations of the strips 0.

By securing the shortpieces cto the joists by screws a facile means isprovided for removing the filli ng-piecesfand supplying their place byboards of greater width as the further shrinkage of the panels occurs.

I may remark that the means employed in carrying out my invention admitof various modifications to suit various kinds of wood employed in theformation of the panels and qualities of flooring required to be formed.Thus the panels may be composed of boards not, as thought desirable.

In place of forming the strips with a T- shaped section to fit rabbetsin ends of the boards composing the slab, the slabs may be held downupon the joist by beveled strips, as shown in the plan and sectionalviews, Figs. and 6, the edges of the slabs being chamfered to correspondto the bevel of the strips. Fig. 5 shows also the boards of adjacentpanels set aslant in opposite directions,- as is common inparquet-flooring.

By clamping the slabs to the joists by transverse strips, and securingthese strips to the joists in the manner above explained, leaving gapsin the rows of panels, it will be seen that I not only provide forshrinkage and the swelling of the wood, which maybe caused by dampness,but I hold down firmly the ends of the boards, and prevent them fromcurling up and giving the floor an uneven surface.

The application of parquet-floorin g is by this invention greatlyfacilitated, and it may be effected with inconveniecc, as respects noisein an inhabited house, when such flooring is required to be applied.

Parquet-flooring constructed after my invention may be laid upon anexisting flooring,

or with advantage upon a sub-floor, in which cases 1 should fasten thepanels to the existing or sub floor respectively. This will be aconvenient arrangement in the event of the joists not being in asuitable position for receiving the attaching nails or screws.

In applying my invention to the construction of ordinary floors 1 adoptthe modification shown in Sheet II of the drawings.

Fig. 7 is a plan view, and Fig. 8 is an end section, of the floor of asmall apartment laid down in the simplest manner of which my inventionis susceptible. In these figures a is a flooring-board placedtransversely of the joists, and extending from wall to wall. This boardis placed in such a position as to divide up the floor into two equalparts.

b b are two slabs composed of flooring-boards of alength sufiicient toreach across the narrow width of the apartment or transversely of thejoists, the breadth of the slabs being sufficient to cover thefloor-space, but not to touch the walls, of the apartment. These slabs Iset in place, making them fast by screwing down or otherwise fixing tothe joists the end boards which are brought in juxtaposition with thecentral board, a. The flooring thus constructed will have its edgescovered by the skirting c c, and it will be free to expand laterallyunder the skirting, and also to contract without exposing any gaprequired to be filled. This will be clearly understood by reference tothe end section, Fig. 8, which shows a space between the wall and theend of the slab, such space being hidden by the thickness of theskirting. The slabs are composed of boards set side by side and securedby dog-nails, as described with reference to Fig. 3.

For the floors of apartments of larger dimensions it will be necessaryto provide fixed guides, which will intervene between the lines of slabsand lie, say, some six feet or more apart. according to the length ofplanking which it will be convenient to use in making up the slabs. Asinlarge apartments several slabs set end to end will be required toreach from wall to wall in the direction of the shrinkage, the use offilling-pieces must be adopted; and to provide for their insertion shortlengths of fixed guides must be introduced to permit,

' by their temporary removal, of the insertion of the filling-pieces.

In the parquet-flooring above described these fixed guides form part ofthe floor-surface, and by their use an ornamental character is impartedto the floor.

For ordinary fioors-made of pine or other cheap wood-I propose tosubstitute for these guide-pieces the arrangement shown in plan view atFig. 9. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of this floor taken on the line 1 2of Fig. 9, and

Fig. llis a cross-section on the line 3 4 of the same figure.

d (I are strips of iron forming guide-pieces for the slabs. Theseguidesas will be best seen in the enlarged section and plan views atFig. 12-lie between the grooves cut in the end edges of the boardscomposing the slabs b, and they are secured to the joists by nails orscrews, spacing-collars d beinginterposed be- I tween the strip 01 andthe joist b. The edges of the slabs are rabbeted below the grooves toprovide the requisite clearance, thus allowing of the slabs being slidover the metal strips into place. In this arrangement the flooring iscomposed of eight slabs, b, the flooringspace being divided up into twoequal parts by fixed boards a. The sides of adjacent slabs will formbutt-joints, the metal strips serving to hold them securely in place.These slabs are made fast to the joists by nails or screws passedthrough the end boards, whichabut against the fixed board a, and theywill thus be free to expand or contract laterally, as above explained.

The invention may also be applied to the covering of walls or parts ofwalls and ceilings of apartments.

Fig. 13 shows a portion of a wall-covering constructed according to myinvention, and Fig. 14B is a section of the same. In these figures g gare the panels, constructed as before described, and fitted intorectangular framework 71. h in such a manner as to leave them free toexpand or contract therein laterally.

The panel which fills the space between the two stiles and the top andbottom cross-pieces constituting the panel-frame is or may be fixe'd atthe middle of its length to the backingwall, which is plugged by piecesof wood to receive attaching nails or screws, which are passed throughthe middle of the panel. This will allow of the panelcontractinglaterally at its opposite edges. To cover thecontractionspaces, I form the frame-work with deep rabbets. Everyalternate stile or cross-pieceit will be convenient to form of twothicknesses of wood, the facingpieces, which form the overlapping edges,being applied after the panels have been secured in place.

For panelin gceilin gs, I use substantially the same contrivance as thatjust described-that is to say, the pieces constituting the panels aresecured together by dog-nails or their equivalent. The center of eachpanel is made fast to the under side of the joists, and the framing forthe panels is arranged so as to allow for their free contraction and forthe hiding of the spaces caused by their contraction. This mode ofcovering wall and ceiling surfaces, I would remark, is particularlyapplicable to the fitting up of floating structures which are exposed togreat varieties of cliinatic influences, ample provision being there,

by made for the lateral contraction and expansion of the panels.

GEO. HOWARD.

Witnesses H. K. WHITE, G. OANTLE,

Both of 66 Chancery Lane, London.

